UK factories expect export down-turn

Export containers on board

British factories expect their export orders during the next three months to be the weakest since the middle of 2012, the Confederation of British Industry said last month.

Expectations for export order volumes fell, showing a balance of +1, down from +9 in the last quarterly survey published in October, the CBI’s industrial trends survey showed.

“British manufacturers are still heading along the right path: new orders are up, bolstered by domestic demand and more people are getting work in factories across the UK,” said the CBI’s director of economics.

“Exports have grown modestly, but there is a feeling that we will not see a repeat in the next quarter, especially with the euro zone still treading water and battling deflation,” she added.